An Obsession with All Things Handmade and Home-Cooked

Go Max, Go!

Coming to the end of yet another grocery shopping mission, having avoided temptation for the most part, the final destination is still fraught with danger. It’s those darned impulse buys so cleverly lined up by the check-out line, inviting you to add just one tiny sweet something to the tally. Yes, I’m definitely an impulse buyer when the mood strikes, so those offerings in and of themselves wouldn’t be so frustrating, if it weren’t for the content. Often lacking in proper labels, or full of unsavory ingredients, these temptations are merely eye-candy at best. Vegan candy bars are still incredibly hard to come by, and they usually turn out to be nothing more than glorified granola bars; Delicious, but a far cry from the decadent chocolate, caramel, and nougat treats available to the rest of the population.

Finally, there is a solution! Go Max Go, a vegan-owned and operated business, has developed a line of four candy bars that are impressive by any standards. By sourcing high-quality ingredients, there’s no trans-fats or HFCS to worry about, so there’s less to feel guilty about when you indulge. Imitating the familiar flavor combinations that certain nation-wide brands have made popular, these bars will satisfy your craving for nostalgia, and a sweet treat.

If a Snickers bar sounds like the peanuty indulgence you desire, grab a Jokerz instead. Composed of “caramel, peanuts, nougat, rice-milk chocolatey coating,” this bar is truly no joke. Packed full of chewy, sticky caramel sprinkled with ample amounts of fresh-tasting peanuts, one bite is an intense taste sensation. A good hit of salt brings out the high notes in those crunchy nuts and rounds out the whole flavor profile. The chocolate coating definitely keeps the sweetness in check and provides an appealing exterior, but it’s definitely not the focus here.

One of my childhood favorites was the Milky Way, and it was always the first to be eaten out of my Halloween stash every year. Now, I can indulge in the Twilight, which boasts “caramel, chocolatey nougat, rice-milk chocolatey coating” all under one wrapper. The dense, chewy, almost creamy nougat is very sweet, but still possess a good chocolate flavor. Coated in smooth, milky chocolate, this outer layer a more prominent role, and is sure to please chocolate lovers all around. Married harmoniously with the deep, burnt sugar notes of the caramel, it’s one incredibly satisfying snack.

“Some times you feel like a nut…” and at those times, don’t reach for an Almond Joy; Grab a Mahalo bar! “Coconut, almonds, rice-milk chocolatey coating” lends a tropical taste to this candy. Three solitary almonds line the top, and although that appeared to be a scant offering at first, they proved to be just enough to add delightful crunch to the whole concoction, and were perfectly fresh in flavor. The body was a firm piece of shredded coconut, reminding me somewhat of coconut-packed marzipan. A light shell of creamy chocolate perfectly compliments the interior without overshadowing any of the other components.

Finally, for those who want a more straightforward and simple chocolate treat, the Buccaneer is guaranteed to please. Simply made of “chocolatey nougat, rice-milk chocolatey coating” the 3 Musketeers impostor is the plainest of the pack. Somewhat top-heavy on the chocolate coating, the thick exterior gives way to an intensely sweet and chocolatey nougat. Absolutely delicious, but akin to taking straight frosting shots, this bar is for the serious sweet tooth only!

Easily addictive, each bar is absolutely spot-on for the candies that they’re “imitating,” although I would be tempted to say they’ve all surpassed the originals in just about every respect. If we could only get these babies into grocery store check-out lines, then boy, would I ever be in trouble- They’re pretty much impossible to resist!

Oh my. Hannah, you are the best! I’ve made vegan snickers bars before, but it’s a huge ordeal because I had to make the caramel and the nougat (and for that, I had to make the sweetened condensed ‘milk’), and they came out waaaaay too sweet. So happy that these will be at my local markets soon! Thanks so much for posting about them. :)

I heard about these recently…they sound delicious, but I was never a big chocolate candy bar person. Come up with a vegan version of PayDays and I’m your girl. My husband is (was?) a Snicker’s fiend, he would love to try the first one, I’m sure.

I had found these a few weeks ago on my favorite veg site and had to order one of each to taste. Oh man! I was instantly hooked!! The last vegan frontier has been breech for me … a highly decadent candy bar, just like the good ol’ days (minus the bad ol’ stuff). :D

Amazing products! Looks really good to me! Thanks for sharing! I am always excited to be introduced to new products.
I am absolutely an impulse buyer too- especially if I am hungry (I know- never go to the grocery store hungry haha).

I ordered all four types of these and they were pretty good – I thought they were all pretty similar – and could tell there was rice milk in the chocolate (tastes rice-y) but am about to order a bunch more! I love caramel – yums!

These bars are indeed a great alternative to Snickers and other junks but let’s remain careful.
Each bar is still about 250 calories, has A LOT of trans fat and sugar. Plus, corn syrup and beet sugar are genetically modified.
So they may be way better than Mars bars, they are still far from impressive and super healthy.
Does it really make sense to have such a far from healthy vegan product? To me, it’s paradoxical.
It’s a great vegan snack once in awhile…

i was SO excited when i saw these for sale recently, but i have to say i was a little disappointed. granted, i only tried the Jokerz bar, but i found it WAY too sweet. there were very few peanuts to balance it out (like 5 in the whole bar.) i actually had to cut it into slices and put some peanut butter on it! haha. it’s nice in theory, but i think they need to tweak these a bit. i may try the coconut one in the future, but otherwise i won’t buy them again.